KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation announced that Western Michigan University is one of 60 providers from 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to receive accreditation for their educator preparation programs. The spring 2020 review by the CAEP Accreditation Council resulted in 60 newly-accredited EPPs, bringing the total to 341 providers approved under the CAEP Teacher Preparation Standards—rigorous, nationally recognized standards that were developed to ensure excellence in educator preparation programs.
"These institutions meet high standards so that their students receive an education that prepares them to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate," said CAEP President Dr. Christopher A. Koch. "Seeking CAEP Accreditation is a significant commitment on the part of an educator preparation provider."
CAEP is the sole accrediting body for educator preparation nationally recognized by CHEA. Accreditation is a nongovernmental activity based on peer review that serves the dual functions of assuring quality and promoting improvement. CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. It is a unified accreditation system intent on raising the performance of all institutions focused on educator preparation. Approximately, 720 educator preparation providers participate in the CAEP Accreditation system, including some previously accredited through former standards.
Educator preparation providers seeking accreditation must pass peer review on five standards, which are based on:
- Solid evidence that the provider's graduates are competent and caring educators, and
- Solid evidence that the provider's educator staff have the capacity to create a culture of evidence and use it to maintain and enhance the quality of the professional programs they offer.
WMU meets all standards without any identified areas for improvement. This speaks to the quality of the educator preparation programs at the University, a fact that is echoed in the 9% increase in enrollment in these programs during the 2019-2020 school year. Western was founded as a teacher’s college in 1908 and the CEHD continues the tradition of success by providing outstanding educator preparation programs to this day.
"WMU is committed to developing exceptional educators who positively impact our global society," said Marcia K. Fetters, acting co-dean of the College of Education and Human Development and director of teacher education. "Our faculty have worked hard to continuously improve our educator preparation programs. We are extremely proud of the recognition we’ve received from the CAEP for this commitment to excellence."
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